Book Review: Isla and The Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins

Description from Goodreads
Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last? 

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart. 

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

Initial Thoughts
I'm assuming at this point that the Josh in this story is the same Josh from Anna and the French kiss that is friends with Anna and Etienne, but I am not sure. I am really excited to read this book, and finish out this little series! Though the reviews on Goodreads seem to have been a little mixed (even though the ratings are good), this book is still the reason I read this series in the first place so I'm definitely anxious to start it!

My Review
I was right- it is the same Josh! Even though some other reviews were mixed, and my own reviews were mixed about half way through the book, I had a hard time putting this down and I ended up really enjoying it! 
Isla is in Paris for school, and has had a crush on Josh forever. He is interested after breaking up with a long time girlfriend, and they start dating. Then the shit hits the fan, and they become a long distance relationship.
I think that aspect of the story was pretty realistic- at least to me. The desperation even after only a month of dating- I think a lot of us feel like we want to plan our future with someone that soon, even if it's not a good idea. So I felt for them in that aspect. But the more it went on, I felt like it was completely contrived and just continued on for as long as it did so the author would continue having something to write about.

However, once things started coming around with Isla and her realization about who she is, the story got really interesting to me again, and I really enjoyed it again. 
I also really, really enjoyed getting to see all the other characters again, especially since this is listed as the final book of the series. It was nice to see them continued on a bit, and I feel like all of their stories wrapped up nicely enough for satisfaction.


I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves YA Romance. I do think you could read each individual book on it's own, but the whole is worth the read.

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: Lola and The Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss #2) by Stephanie Perkins

Description from Goodreads
Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Initial Thoughts
After reading the first book in the series, I am excited to read this one! The main characters seem interesting, and I like stories about friends falling in love. So this might be good!

My Review
This was another adorable book!

I really loved Lola, the main character, and reading about all her fun outfits! I really sometimes wish I was more creative with my clothing and I loved reading about the way she put them together. I also loved how Cricket is basically similar with his clothing- he's always put together. Not quite as in costume like Lola is, but still definitely better put together than most guys.

I also really, really liked that Anna and Etienne from the first book made appearances throughout- even though I knew these books were part of a series, I thought it was just because of the way they were written or the types of stories they were. So that was a very nice surprise. 

I thought her relationship with the boy she is dating in the beginning of the novel was a little .... lacking. It was probably my least favorite part of the entire story. It wasn't really the age difference, but he just never really seemed all that into Lola. It made it easy for me to root for them to break up, which is both a strength and a weakness in the novel. Sometimes a guy isn't right for you, but can still be a good guy. I wish more writers wrote it like that.


I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads, just like the first novel. I can't wait to read the third book!


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1 by Marie Rutkoski)

 

Description from Goodreads
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Initial Thoughts
Another series dystopian novel? Sign me up! I think the premise of this sounds interesting, and not quite like anything I've seen lately. I wonder where this is going- she bought him, but the price she paid is more than she ever could have imagined? Hmmmmm.

My Review
I was into this book almost right away. I did guess what Arin was up to pretty early on, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story all the same. I liked the world they seemed to set up, and I enjoyed the budding romance between the two main characters.
With that said, though, at times it was a little exhausting. And I don't see, after reading the ending, how they might end up back together (assuming that's the end goal and the second book doesn't bring in a love triangle.)

I thought Kestrel was a fairly strong female character. I feel like she is someone that can carry a trilogy easily, and I actually want to read more about her journey. I also feel like she's a female character that other girls would look up to- she is strong-willed and doesn't give in easily.


Overall, I just really enjoyed this- it was entertaining, and I want to keep reading the trilogy.

I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Description from Goodreads
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

Initial Thoughts
I'll be honest- I just want to read this book and the second book so I can get to the third book. It does sound like something I'll like, but when I found the third book on Goodreads, I knew I HAD to read it, and if I find out a book is part of a series, it feels weird to not start at Book #1. So hopefully this will be a good intro!
I also have never read anything by this author before, and I would love to read more new-to-me authors this year!

My Review
I absolutely adored this book! As I said above, I wasn't sure about it, and read it more to get through the first couple of books in this series, but I'm so glad I decided to start at the beginning!

It was a cute and quick read. I liked that the supporting characters were mostly fleshed out, though I wish I knew more about the relationship between Etienne and his parents. I also felt the end was a tad rushed, but since there was so much tension between Etienne and Anna throughout the story, I guess it was okay that once they were together, they were together.
But, overall, I loved that the characters seemed like real teenagers, and real teenage drama. The misunderstandings between Anna and her friend back home felt like things that happened with my own friends, and they felt organic. I didn't feel like the author was forcing me to believe anything that was happening- it just felt like I was following along.


I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads, and I can't wait to see if the second book in the series entertains me as much as the first.


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: Atlantia by Ally Condie

Description from Goodreads
Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

Initial Thoughts
I'm really excited to read this. I loved her Matched Trilogy (and I talked about how much a bit in last year's favorite books of 2013 post), and am excited to read a stand alone novel. And the premise sounds exciting!

My Review
Maybe I hyped this book up too much in my own head prior to reading, but I really didn't ever get into this. I tried really hard. And I kept reading way past the time I usually would have given up, but I kept waiting for something. 

The book itself is mainly about two sets of sisters. And their lives Below. Below is the city of Atlantia, which was created after Above became too polluted to live in. Two of the sisters in the sets are Siren's, which have extremely powerful voices. And even knowing what Siren's are, the book never actually touches on anything about them, other than they are miracles and their voices are powerful. And it never goes too much into the relationships either of the younger girls have with their respective love interests- it barely glosses over them.
The author herself says this is a book about family, but the older sets of sisters don't have a relationship and we never really learn much about them at all, and the younger sets of sisters are close, but I never really felt the bond for myself. (And you know, as a reader, that you can feel that bond between characters if it's written well enough.)

By the end of this book, I just felt relief that I had finished it. 


When I initially finished the book, I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads, but I have since changed it to 2. I just really didn't like it very much at all.
I'm not giving up on Ally Condie as an author, but I definitely won't get too excited about her next book.


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Changing it up again - Book Reviews

Last time I changed up how I did my book reviews, I liked it. I thought the idea would have my reenergized to do book reviews. And it did, but doing both Judging Book posts and the actual review took up twice the amount of time. Which is the opposite of what I was hoping it would do.

So, I've decided to change it up again, but I'm basically going to be combining the two posts into one.



I'm going to do an initial review prior to my reading the book- it might be a quick note I jot down in my Goodreads when I add the book to my "to read" category (and I really need to do this because sometimes I cannot remember why I added a book) and transfer over, or just a quick draft of the book review post. After that, I will post my review. This will all be in one handy post. I also think it might be fun to see my initial impressions against how I felt after reading.


My first new review will be up Tuesday, Jan 6th! Hope you guys enjoy!

BATR Book Club: True Believer by Nicholas Sparks

Description from Goodreads: Jeremy Marsh is the ultimate New Yorker: handsome, almost always dressed in black, and part of the media elite. An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in "Scientific American," he's just made his first appearance on national TV. When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before--take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, True Believer will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.



It has been a long time since I read a Nicholas Sparks book. Mostly because I figured they are all the same- they fall in love, and someone dies. Or is dying. But when I saw this in a bag of books my aunt was getting ready to donate to the library, something drew me to it. So I grabbed my phone, and read some reviews. And then talked to my Aunt. She said "nobody dies in this one." So I decided to give it a shot.

It's a cute story. There's a little mystery with the lights in the cemetary, and I thought for a minute that the man that had a crush of Lexie would cause major problems, but nothing really happened. As a matter of fact, nothing really happened. They fell in love, and then, a miracle.

I will say the "miracle" aspect of this story did tick me off just a bit. You discover something about Jeremy in the book that is not something that you hear a lot about in books. And it made me sad but did excite me a little- it still gives the couple an obstacle. But, by the end of the story, it's not anymore. And it just made me go "Okay, that's nice, but really?"


I gave this book 3 stars on Goodreads. It was cute enough, and I might give more Sparks' books a try, but I won't be re-reading or thinking about this book after now.
However, there is a sequel, and I want to check it out because the reviews aren't as good. Is that weird? Probably. But since there is an additional part of Jeremy and Lexie's story, I want to know it.



You can get this book for your Kindle here, or a physical copy here.


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my great aunt. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

BATR Book Club: Top Secret Twenty-One (Stephanie Plum #21) by Janet Evanovich

I rated this book 3 stars on Goodreads, and I'm being generous.

I just am getting really tired of the same old, same old. And it doesn't seem like it's going to change any time soon.
If you're familiar with one Plum novel, you're familiar with them all. And I'm still reading them, because I want to see it end eventually and her end up with someone (or even no one!), but it's getting boring. Someone blows up her car. She sleeps with Morelli and thinks about sleeping with Ranger. She has trouble with even the most basic bonds catch, and most often, that person is naked.

It's just the same book.

The sad thing is that I will keep reading these novels, as long as she keeps writing them. Because I keep hoping for something different. And there is a good way to do a series novel, but this isn't really it.



Have any questions or want to talk about the book? Discuss below!

You can get this book for your Kindle here, or a physical copy here. Or you can pick it up from your local library, like I did!


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

BATR Book Club: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

(Read my Judging A Book post about this book here.)

This book was so good, and kept me guessing until the very end!

The main characters are incredibly complex and so different from each other- you have Madeline, who is this slightly crazed mom who is dealing with her ex-husband's new wife and her teenage daughter, Celeste who seems to have the idea life as a rich stay-at-home mom, and Jane, who is a single mom to a little boy who is accused of being a bully. 
There are many other characters, but those three are who the story centers around. The story as a whole centers around characters that have children in Kindergarten. 
Also, this story takes place in Australia, which I didn't know when this first started. Not that it's a huge part of the story, but it is something they mention.

You know almost right away that there is a death in this story, but I could not figure it out the whole story. I know what I was hoping for, but I just didn't know. But I did out loud say "OMG" when it happened. And when another reveal happens- I did NOT see it coming, at all. I was in absolute shock.
(I talk a lot when I read books, and laugh. It's just a thing I do. Like the characters can hear me or something...)

This wasn't a quick read by any means (the book is 480 pages!) but it didn't feel like a long read, either. 
I gave this book a solid four stars on Goodreads. I really liked it and it kept me interested. 


Have any questions or want to talk about the book? Discuss below!



You can get this book for your Kindle here, or a physical copy here. Or you can pick it up from your local library, like I did!


Disclosure: I won this book in a Birchbloggers contest to review in the month of September. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

BATR Book Club: Sisterhood Everlasting (Sisterhood #5) by Ann Brashares

This book is really sad. And really real.
If you liked the other four books (and I did), then prepare yourself. Or if you've only seen the movies, and want to see how it ends... also, prepare yourself. Because things aren't peaceful in the land of the Sisterhood.

If you loved that special sisterhood camaraderie you probably won't like this very much. The sisters are older, and have grown apart. They still love each other; that much is obvious.
But if you want to read a book that really gets what friendship is like as an adult, definitely pick this up.

I do think you need to have some idea of what the Sisterhood is all about if you read this book- going into it blind would be a bad idea, and wouldn't have the same emotional impact. But if you like the Sisterhood, whether from the books or the movies, pick this up. See how it ends.


You might close the book sad, and wanting to call your best friend. But you'll be happy you opened it.




Have any questions or want to talk about the book? Discuss below!



You can get this book for your Kindle here, or a physical copy here. Or you can pick it up from your local library, like I did!


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Changing it Up- Book Review

I'm bored with book reviews.

And I told my husband this about 45 minutes ago. I was getting ready to write my review for Sisterhood Everlasting, and it was not going to be good. By that, I mean that I didn't know what to write. And I realized that I am bored. So I told him, "I'm bored with book reviews."
And he brought up that I love books, and I do. And that I want to keep this blog being about both beauty AND books. So he said I should come up with something else. He mentioned that I like to talk to people about books, so I should make the reviews more like conversations.

So, the BATR (batter) book club is born!
Basically, I'm going to make a post when I start a book- "Judging A Book By It's Cover", where I talk about what I think the book is going to be about, why I started reading it, etc.
And when I finish the book, I'll do a BATR book club post, which will be a lot more conversational. And if you see I'm reading a book and haven't done my book club post yet, leave a comment, and I'll answer it back in the book club post.

With my husband's help, I feel a lot better about book reviews now. And I hope you all will like them, too!


My first BATR Book Club post will be up on September 16th, and will be on Tuesdays, like the book review posts were before, at some point after I finish the book. All "Judging a Book" posts will be up before I start reading, which will vary in day, so be sure to follow me on FB, Twitter, or Bloglovin to make sure you see those posts! (All links are on the right side.)

Book Review: Forever In Blue (Sisterhood #4) by Ann Brashares

Description from Goodreads
As their lives take them in different directions, Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bridget discover many more things about themselves and the importance of their relationship with each other. The fourth book in the bestselling young-adult series, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, finds the girls finished with their freshman year of college and experiencing a bevy of quandaries involving sex, relationships, self-esteem, and growing up. Lena is finally getting over Kostos when she meets the wildly talented Leo in her painting class, while Bee's archeological dig in Turkey involves a very appealing professor, who also happens to be married. Carmen's depression isn't helped by her new friend, Julia, and Tibby's decision to sleep with Brian brings on consequences she never dreamed of. Though the magical pants take a backseat in this stirring drama, they ultimately bring the girls together.


My Review
I'm not sure how it happened, but this is both my favorite and least favorite. 

Maybe because I know where one of the girls stories is going in the last book. Maybe because I really, really didn't want Bridget to kiss that professor. Maybe because, in spite of everything, I'm not a Kostos fan, but then again, I really do like them together. Or maybe because Carmen is a huge idiot. 

Either way, it was entertaining, and even though I didn't like those other things, I laughed and cried while reading this book. 

This book takes place the summer after their first year of college.
Carmen is doing theater camp with probably one of the worst young women characters I've read in YA in a long time. (As in, she had no redeeming qualities, at all.)
Lena is in a summer art program and meets Leo, and essentially becomes his muse and he hers. 
Bridget is off on a dig.
And Tibby spends the summer thinking she's pregnant, not being pregnant, and ending her relationship with Brian. 


Of all the parts of this book, I liked the growth Carmen had, but I hated that she was so oblivious. I get not seeing what was right in front of you, but how many times did her instructors and fellow actors have to give her the hint that this girl was a horrible person? 



I'm trying hard not to give too much away regarding the other girls, but even though I love/hated this book, I still gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

You can purchase a copy of this book for Kindle here, or a physical copy here. Or, pick up a copy from your local library, like I did!

FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Book Review: Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood #3) by Ann Brashares

Description from Goodreads
The Pants first came to us at the perfect moment. That is, when we were splitting up for the first time. It was two summers ago when they first worked their magic, and last summer when they shook up our lives once again. You see, we don’t wear the Pants year-round. We let them rest so they are extra powerful when summer comes. (There was the time this spring when Carmen wore them to her mom’s wedding, but that was a special case.) 
Now we’re facing our last summer together. In September we go to college. And it’s not like one of those TV shows where all of us magically turn up at the same college. We’re going to four different colleges in four different cities (but all within four hours of one another—that was our one rule). We’re headed off to start our real lives. 
Tomorrow night at Gilda’s we’ll launch the Pants on their third summer voyage. Tomorrow begins the time of our lives. It’s when we’ll need our Pants the most.


My Review
These books really do keep getting better!
Book three follows the girls on that summer before college- that summer where you really see your friends drifting apart even though you're longing to hold on, when you're preparing to become who you will be, and when you're basically figuring out who you are as a person separate from school, friends, and family.
Tibby spends the summer finally coming around to her true feelings for Brian... thank God! 
Carmen takes care of Lena's grandmother, who is recovering from the loss of both husband and country.
Lena is trying to go to art school even though her parents don't approve.
And Bridget is at soccer camp where she coaches with Eric, the boy she lost her virginity to, and who basically broke her in the first novel. 

For once, I wasn't super annoyed by Carmen throughout this whole book. She was pretty much the only one that figured out Lena's grandmother and why she was so unhappy. 
But now Tibby is starting to annoy me slightly. They really are like real friends at this point. 
I really, really enjoyed reading the descriptions of Lena's portraits. I could practically see them right before my eyes.
I think Bridget's story was probably my least favorite- she did have growth, but I just wasn't as into reading her pining but not pining over Eric. 

I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads. Overall, I did really enjoy this book, and want to continue and finish the series.


You can purchase a copy of this book for Kindle here, or a physical copy here. Or, pick up a copy from your local library, like I did!

FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Book Review: The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood #2) by Ann Brashares

Description from Goodreads
“Light and romantic," raved The New York Times of the second novel in the  bestselling Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares, author of The Here and Now.

With a bit of last summer’s sand in the pockets, the Traveling Pants and the sisterhood who wears them—Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen—embark on their second summer together.

“Fits like a favorite pair of pants.” —USA Today“A great summer read.” —The Sacramento Bee

 “As comfortable as an old pair of jeans.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred


My Review
This was much better than the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book. 
The girls are just one summer older, but seem infinitely wiser. Lena is sympathetic, Tibby is introspective, and Bridget is the epitome of growth in a character. The only character who is pretty much the same is Carmen- she's still a brat, and immature. 

But then I remind myself of the type of teenager I was when I saw my mother dating, and, although I still think Carmen is being selfish, I see more of where she is coming from. 

Bridget travels to visit her grandmother whom she barely remembers but starts to remember pieces of once she is there. But she doesn't tell her grandmother that she's her- she goes by a different name. Of course, her grandmother knows who she is the whole time. (I do not consider this a spoiler- if you don't pick up on that, I can't help you.)
I feel like Bridget's growth was the most profound, and the most real. She is still dealing with losing her mother, and losing her virginity as well. She left her one true love, soccer, because of not being able to cope, and she comes back to herself in such a beautiful way. 

Lena broke up with Kostos, and spends a majority of the book mourning that loss, and then he comes back, they spend an amazing couple of weeks together... and then he is just gone. She also deals with the loss of someone much greater than Kostos, and I cried so much when I read that part. 
There is a reason Kostos is gone, and I'm just excited to see where Lena goes next.

Tibby takes a film course over the summer, and makes friends that lead her to be someone that I really didn't like, but being inside her head definitely made me feel for her wishing for acceptance. She is still thinking about Bailey, but not wanting to think about Bailey. She still misses her hamster. 
Knowing what I know happens at the end of this series (I was spoiled by the internet and its inconsiderate masses, but I don't blame them because I have no clue how I'll handle life when it happens) makes me really sensitive and keyed-in to all of Tibby's feelings about everything. 

And Carmen? Well, her mother is dating, and she is hating life through most of this book. But, eventually, she grows up and accepts that she is going off to college and her mother needs her own life.


Overall, I really, really liked this story so much. I thought the character development was beautiful, and so real. It reminded me a lot of high school and my friends, and how we felt about everything. I can see some of my friends in every girl, and it really makes me wish I had read this when it first came out, and I could have related to it from a present perspective (since this book came out the April before I graduated high school).
I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

You can purchase a copy of this book for Kindle here, or a physical copy here. Or, pick up a copy from your local library, like I did!

FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Book Review: My Real Children by Jo Walton

Description from Goodreads
It's 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. "Confused today," read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. She forgets things she should know—what year it is, major events in the lives of her children. But she remembers things that don’t seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. And she remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963, and she remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev.

Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War—those were solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Did her friends all call her Trish, or Pat? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage after her children were grown, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy? And the moon outside her window: does it host a benign research station, or a command post bristling with nuclear missiles?

Two lives, two worlds, two versions of modern history. Each with their loves and losses, their sorrows and triumphs. My Real Children is the tale of both of Patricia Cowan's lives...and of how every life means the entire world.


My Review
My Real Children is a story about a woman split between two worlds- the world she lives in where she marries Mark and goes by Trish, and has four children, and the world where she doesn't marry Mark, but instead raises three children with her partner, Bee. 

But not just that- in the world with Mark, Kennedy is blown up by a bomb in Texas, we have settlements on the moon, and potentially will have settlements on Mars. In the world with Bee, Kennedy resigns following nuclear crisis, the world is uneasy, bombs are set off on train stations that cause lifelong heartache for Pat (as she goes by), but she spends years writing guidebooks and summering in Italy. 

In her life with Mark, she spends a majority of her life miserable, but in her life with Bee, she is happy and content. But the world isn't. 
So the real question this book got me thinking of- how do your decisions effect your own life, and how do they effect the entire world? 

It's like the butterfly effect- you do one thing, and it changes everything. And by deciding to marry Mark, or not marry Mark, it literally has changed the world. 


The book spends the first five chapters leading up to her proposal from Mark and after spends the rest of the book, other than the final chapter, going back and forth between her life with Mark, and her life with Bee. Trish is clearly miserable with Mark, and she only gives him children initially because Mark has her convinced it's her duty to God to populate. They sleep together as husband and wife what appears to be a little more than a handful of times throughout their marriage, but she has four children (and three miscarriages / stillbirths) that she raises and cares for deeply. The world has war, but nothing unlike our world now. Her oldest son becomes a semi-popular musician, her other son marries on the moon, one daughter eventually settles down after having a daughter young, and the other is also successful in her field. Her mother develops dementia, and, eventually, Trish begins to lose her memory after a heart attack. 
Pat has a wonderful life, traveling, writing, and raising three children with her partner, Bee. But the world itself is a mess- nuclear war, bombings... it's a disaster. Bee is majorly effected by a bombing in a train station. One of her daughters becomes an architect in Italy, her son is a composer, and her other daughter marries as well. Her mother also develops dementia and Pat also begins to lose her memory after a heart attack.
So there are many similarities in her life, but also many differences. 

So who are her real children, and what is her real life? Did she have a mostly happy life with Bee, or a miserable but serviceable one with Mark? Are her miscarriages/stillbirths her made-up memories of a life with Bee, or did she marry Bee but somewhere in her mind, does she wonder what would have happened had she married him?


The final chapter of this book did cause me to pause a moment, and reflect on my own life- how do the decisions I make in my life make the world a different place? Maybe a better or worse place, or does it do anything at all? 
I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.



If you'd like to purchase a copy of this book, you can purchase a copy for Kindle here, or a hardcover copy here. Or you can borrow a copy from your local library, like I did!


FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Book Review: The Vacationers by Emma Straub

 
(This book was an advanced copy received as part of a Birchbloggers contest through BirchBloggers.)

Description from Goodreads
An irresistible, deftly observed novel about the secrets, joys, and jealousies that rise to the surface over the course of an American family’s two-week stay in Mallorca.

For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny and Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains and beaches, its tapas and tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan. But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old and new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, and ancient wounds are exacerbated.

This is a story of the sides of ourselves that we choose to show and those we try to conceal, of the ways we tear each other down and build each other up again, and the bonds that ultimately hold us together. With wry humor and tremendous heart, Emma Straub delivers a richly satisfying story of a family in the midst of a maelstrom of change, emerging irrevocably altered yet whole.


My Review
The Vacationers is the perfect summer read.

If you've heard the hype about this book, that's pretty much what everyone is saying, and typically I don't subscribe to the idea of a "summer read", but this fits the very definition, at least according to all the magazines and tv shows hyping up summer reads. It's an easy read- there's nothing complex here, both in words and thoughts. But it does keep you entertained, and you want to keep reading to see how their problems end up.

Franny and Jim Post are celebrating their thirty-fifth anniversary in Mallorca with their family, and dealing with the fallout of Jim's cheating on Franny with a young colleague. To Jim's defense, Franny doesn't come across as a very nice person most of the book, but eventually I just saw her as the type of person that liked things in a certain fashion. Jim is dealing with basically losing his identity because he's lost his job as a repercussion of the affair, and is also trying to prove to Franny that he still loves her and wants to be married.

Sylvia is Franny and Jim's young daughter who just graduated high school, and is getting ready to head off to college. She wants to lose her virginity over the summer, and has decided her Spanish tutor, Joan (pronounced Joe-Ahn), would the the right person to do that.

Bobby is Franny and Jim's oldest son, who lives in Miami with his much-older girlfriend Carmen. They come on the trip, and have an ulterior motive of sorts involving some debt Bobby has incurred by selling supplement powder. 
Bobby was probably my least favorite character for 95% of the book, but by the end I just felt really sorry for him.

And finally, there are Charles and Lawrence. Charles is an old friend of Franny, and an artist, and Lawrence is his husband. Lawrence desperately wants a baby, and they get the news while in Mallorca that there is a baby available. 

The book follows the family through their two week trip, and each chapter is one day in their journey. It's an interesting approach, and allows us to really get involved in the families everyday adventure, and we read in basically real time what happens as the family deals with all their own demons, as well as coming to grips with each others.

For some who want adventure, mystery, or grand romance in their books, this won't be for those people. This is like the kind of TV show you watch where nothing really happens, but you love watching it. I, for one, really just enjoyed being with this family on vacation and watching how their lives played out. And at the end, no questions remained. We know what happens with everyone, and their problems. It was satisfying.

I gave this book five stars on Goodreads. I really just loved being with this family, and can definitely see myself revisiting the Posts again.

You can purchase a copy of this book for Kindle here, or a physical copy here. 

FTC: I received this book as part of a birchbloggers contest. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Book Review: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Sisterhood #1) by Ann Brashares

Description from Goodreads
Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She'd love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants — and the most memorable summer of their lives — begins.


My Review
I'm obviously too old to have read this book for the first time.

Let me explain- I am a huge fan of the movies, but I never got around to reading the books. But when I found out there might be a "final" movie in the series, I decided I wanted to read them. So I requested the first book from my library, and picked it up, really excited about reading these. 
... and it was cute. But it wasn't life altering or amazing, or this profound thing that people have been telling me about for years.

I found Carmen to be a complete brat, and Lena to be a snob (I get that she was supposed to be shy, and as a kind of shy person myself, I should have felt sympathy for her, but I didn't). I felt really bad for Bridget, with everything she was going through emotionally, and, of course, I cried with Tibby.
It figures that my favorite character from the movie, Lena, would be my least favorite in the book. And it also figures one of my least favorite, Bridget, would be the most sympathetic in the book.
But Tibby is pretty much the same. And Carmen is just... okay, I get the situation, but I definitely felt more sorry for her situation in the movie than the book.


I didn't mean for this to be a huge comparison of both, and once I'm through to the last book, there won't be anything for me to compare it to. But I definitely would have felt the same about all of the girls. I would have felt sympathy for Bridget and her whole situation with her mom, and wanting attention in the wrong way. I would definitely have thought Carmen overreacted and should have given her Dad a chance to explain things. I would have still been so upset for Tibby. And I definitely would have still not understood Lena just everything about her, pretty much. 
The only part I enjoyed about Lena's story was her relationship with her grandfather, that was adorable. Otherwise, I was just reading as fast as I could to get to Bridget and Tibby. 



I gave this book three stars on Goodreads. It was a cute, simple read- perfect for a preteen or early teenager, definitely. I'm sure 14 year old me would have given this a solid four stars, but beings as I'm 29 now, I can only look back on my own experiences and give this a solid three.
I will be reading the rest of the series, and hopefully as the girls get older, I'll be able to relate just a little more.

You can purchase a copy of this book for Kindle here, or a physical copy here. Or, pick up a copy from your local library, like I did!

FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Book Review: The Collector by Nora Roberts

Description from Goodreads
From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a novel of a woman who needs nothing, a man who sees everything, and the web of deceit, greed, and danger that brings them together—and could tear them apart . . .

When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one. . . .

Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a rarified circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession. . . .


My Review
This book doesn't leave you anytime to breathe- the murder happens before page 20! 

Lila Emerson is house-sitting at an apartment in Chelsea, where she sees a woman get pushed out of a window by her lover, Oliver. Or at least that's what she thinks she sees.
Ashton is Oliver's brother, and doesn't believe his brother would hurt a fly, let alone push someone out of a window. And they quickly uncover that both were murdered.

We also get inside the head of Jai, who seems to be working for someone, but doesn't seem to be the murderer. Though later does become one. She's not a sympathetic character in the slightest, at least not to me. She's money hungry and only cares about the job, and not about life.


The novel itself revolves around two of the lost Faberge eggs, and about the greed and lust of money and acquiring property. Lila and Ashton are basically caught in the middle of this, because Oliver acquired an egg to sell. Reading about the antiquities business was pretty fascinating, but then again, I really like second hand shopping and I used to really enjoy antiquing and going to yard sales with my grandma and great aunt, so maybe nostalgia brought interest. 

The other aspects of the story I liked is the description of Ashton's art- the way Roberts describes it just makes me want to go into the pages and look myself. I wish it were real and I could look it up on the internet and purchase it.

I think my favorite side story was the romance between Julie and Luke. I love the history and the fact that they both found each other again later in life after finding their passions. It was a really sweet story, and I wish there were more of it.


Overall, this is a really solid stand alone novel by Roberts and probably my favorite stand alone of hers in quite some time.
I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.



If you'd like to purchase a copy of this book, you can purchase a copy for Kindle here, or a hardcover copy here. Or you can borrow a copy from your local library, like I did!


FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Book Review: The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood #12) by J.R. Ward

Description from Goodreads
J.R. Ward's # 1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood continues as a royal bloodline is compromised by a grave threat to the throne.

Long live the King… 

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle--with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything--and everyone--at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response--or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out... or tortured legacy take over?


My Review
I am a huge fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series of novels by J.R. Ward. This is the 12th book, and is centered on whom the first book is- Wrath, son of Wrath, aka the King. It's not like Ms. Ward is running out of characters- she's actually still introducing new characters and working their stories into the existing ones, but it's necessary to go back to Wrath because the glymera votes him out of being King.

The book also centers on his wife, Beth, wanting to be with child. And becoming with child. And Wrath being a huge asshole one minute and then being totally fine with it the next. (Okay, so not quite, but it was within 20 pages and problem solved!) His reasoning was sound- he didn't want his child to be doomed to rule the way he was. And part of the glymera's issues with Wrath is that Beth is not a full vampire- but no one really is except Wrath. 
All I really get is that a majority of the glymera are complete assholes, and Ward has done nothing to prove to me otherwise. They're also really easily influenced.


The book also has stories about Sola and Assail (probably my favorite part of the whole book was the part where they were in it, his rescuing her and her decision left me pretty torn up), Trez and Selena (He needs to get over his past in a big way), Xcor and Layla (I'm interested to see how the Brotherhood will handle this relationship!), iAm (Trez's brother), and John Matthew was also in this story quite a bit, since he is Beth's half brother. 
If you're a fan of the series already, this is a great addition to the story, but if you don't know anything about the story, this isn't a book you want to start with and go back- it definitely hinges on you knowing everything up to this point. I had to get on wiki and google a couple of times, because there are so many main characters now!

The next book is going to be Trez and iAm, and that makes me pretty excited. I'm interested to see who they end up pairing iAm with (if anyone), because there aren't really any hints on who it could be, but he's a really interesting character. 


I gave this book four stars on Goodreads- Like I said, it's a great addition to the series as a whole, and really continues to expand it further. You can purchase a copy of this book for Kindle here, or a physical copy here. Or, pick up a copy from your local library, like I did!

FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.